vegan in spain?
Oct 14th, 2007, 02:59 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
vegan in spain?
Hi - my family and I are probably moving to Spain. (If you've read any of my threads in the last couple of months you are laughing now!). We are vegan. We've managed in Paris for over a year partially because there are alot of Asian markets here - but also of course the fab open air markets. Do you think it will be more or less difficult in Spain? Any vegetarians or vegans with experience in Spain?
Thanks in advance -
Thanks in advance -
Oct 14th, 2007, 04:30 AM
#2
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,567
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I am pretty sure they grow vegetables in Spain. I am also pretty sure there are markets where these are sold. Spain is the size of TX and one of the most geographically diverse country in Europe; any chance you can narrow your question to a Region? 
Oct 14th, 2007, 04:45 AM
#3
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Absolutely no problem with veggies in Spain. They locally grow almost all their own fruit and veg and its also easy to get organic as most is, as I say, local farm stuff. Use the small Fruit y veduras shops rather than supermarkets.
Oct 15th, 2007, 01:52 AM
#5
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,635
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I had lunch at a vegeterian restaurant in Barcelona with my wife's 'veggie' cousin. We got there early (1:00 PM) so there was no problem for us. The name is Fresco and it's 'Cafeteria style' with a fixed price menu. The line outside when we left convinced me that there are many vegans in Spain or in Barcelona, anyway.
You shouldn't have any problem finding food outlets that cater to vegeterians or pelirojas (i.e., red haired girls). You'll find open air markets in Spain also - problem may be finding out day-of-the-week they're open.
You shouldn't have any problem finding food outlets that cater to vegeterians or pelirojas (i.e., red haired girls). You'll find open air markets in Spain also - problem may be finding out day-of-the-week they're open.
Oct 15th, 2007, 02:39 AM
#6
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 17,268
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It's actually very difficult to eat out in Spain if you're a vegan, and nigh-impossible to eat out well. So much so, I wonder if the previous posters actually know what a vegan is?
Cooking at home is of course dead easy, since Spain has good markets and veg in supermarkets is often terrific.
But restaurants often offer only omelettes or cheese as their vegetarian alternative, so the only option for you can be an often tasteless salad: the Italian vegan's fallback of cheese-free pasta and tomato sauce isn't as common in Spain as in most ofthe rest of Europe. I've rarely found a vegan tapa apart from olives (there's an awful lot of cheese and bits of seafood find their way into many tapas), though when you find beans grab them (after triple-checking there's nothing forbidden in the dressing). I've reasonably often found restaurants in biggish towns that cooked interesting veg well, so you could probably always get them to serve just the main-course veg and pudding. But you have to be careful with a lot of veg-sounding first courses: those wonderful beans are often served with ham, for example.
The advice has to be to search vegan websites carefully, eat at home as much as possible and to limit your exposure to Spanish restaurants until you've learned your way round Spanish cooking very intimately.
Cooking at home is of course dead easy, since Spain has good markets and veg in supermarkets is often terrific.
But restaurants often offer only omelettes or cheese as their vegetarian alternative, so the only option for you can be an often tasteless salad: the Italian vegan's fallback of cheese-free pasta and tomato sauce isn't as common in Spain as in most ofthe rest of Europe. I've rarely found a vegan tapa apart from olives (there's an awful lot of cheese and bits of seafood find their way into many tapas), though when you find beans grab them (after triple-checking there's nothing forbidden in the dressing). I've reasonably often found restaurants in biggish towns that cooked interesting veg well, so you could probably always get them to serve just the main-course veg and pudding. But you have to be careful with a lot of veg-sounding first courses: those wonderful beans are often served with ham, for example.
The advice has to be to search vegan websites carefully, eat at home as much as possible and to limit your exposure to Spanish restaurants until you've learned your way round Spanish cooking very intimately.
Oct 15th, 2007, 03:39 AM
#7
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,719
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I can think of a few vegan tapas, like garbanzos con espinacas, patatas bravas (with spicy tomato sauce rather than garlic mayo), marinated peppers, and variations thereof.
I lived in Granada for six months about ten years ago - I wasn't veggie, but didn't eat meat or eggs, and I managed OK at tapas bars, but found it harder to find things in restaurants. If I wanted to eat out, I tended to opt for tapas, and relied on my own cooking skills for proper sit-down dinners. Always lots of great fruit and veg available in the markets (and a lot cheaper than in Paris!!).
Of course, it does really depend where you are going to be living - the situation in Madrid or Barcelona is going to be a lot different from a small town in the countryside somewhere.
I lived in Granada for six months about ten years ago - I wasn't veggie, but didn't eat meat or eggs, and I managed OK at tapas bars, but found it harder to find things in restaurants. If I wanted to eat out, I tended to opt for tapas, and relied on my own cooking skills for proper sit-down dinners. Always lots of great fruit and veg available in the markets (and a lot cheaper than in Paris!!).
Of course, it does really depend where you are going to be living - the situation in Madrid or Barcelona is going to be a lot different from a small town in the countryside somewhere.
Trending Topics
Oct 15th, 2007, 06:47 AM
#9
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,834
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
There is a restaurant chain called Origen 99.9%, which focuses on local ingredients. There is a link on the website to their menu, which does have a few vegan friendly options (vegetable "cocas", etc)
www.origen99.com/
www.origen99.com/
Oct 15th, 2007, 09:22 AM
#10
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 34,933
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I didn't think those responses were that flippant because the OP wasn't asking about eating in restaurants, but specifically about buying vegetables in markets. So I would say the same thing -- sure, they sell vegetables in markets. I went to a good covered mercado in Madrid, I think, where they had lots of fresh vegetables.
I do think it might be more difficult to eat in restaurants in Spain than some other countries with unusual dietary requirements like being a vegan, though.
I do think it might be more difficult to eat in restaurants in Spain than some other countries with unusual dietary requirements like being a vegan, though.
Oct 15th, 2007, 08:09 PM
#12
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,154
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Would recommend the site www.happycow.net for a listing of veg/vegan restaurants and stores in every major city of Spain. We are vegetarians (not vegans), and we recently travelled all over Spain, and found excellent stuff to eat in restaurants. Of course we had to pre-select our restaurants. You can read our trip report to get an idea of various vegetarian restaurants in Spain.
Oct 16th, 2007, 02:08 PM
#16
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 34,933
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The vegetarians I know eat lots of animal products, cheese and eggs are something they eat almost every day, as well as other dairy products -- well, almost everything they eat except for the veggies has some animal product in it, as they eat lots of things with butter in them, milk, etc. (like many breads, pastries, etc., even a lot of crackers have butter in them). I don't really understand how anyone can hardly eat a vegan diet, it is so restrictive. Some vegans won't eat honey, either, as calling a "bee" an animal, but of course you can get along without honey. I guess you'd have to make sure lots of things you ate were made with vegetable oil rather than butter -- actually, in Spain, with the olive oil, that should work better than in France. Also, that no pasta dish you date had eggs or milk in it.
